


The Balad of Fen Ris

by LadyKnotte



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ballad 39: Tam Lin, Drama, F/M, Hawke likes trashy smutty novels, Romance, Tags May Change, some smut probably along the way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-07 06:34:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4253046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnotte/pseuds/LadyKnotte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My take on the Tam Lin story. A brave maiden, a man to be rescued and an enchantment to be broken. Hawke flirts, fights and falls in love, Fenris waits and whines. Well, maybe not really, but one cannot miss such an opportunity for alliteration.  Somewhere along the way stuff happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Balad of Fen Ris

**Author's Note:**

> They say in every story there is a grain of truth. Sometimes it blooms and changes people’s lives, sometimes it withers and fades away, only to be rediscovered in a different time and place. What happens with this one, dear Reader, is entirely up to you.

The eldest Hawke girl was nothing like your ordinary noble maiden – “subtle”, “compliant” and “quiet” were definitely not adjectives one could use while describing her character. That, at least according to her mother and at least half of Kirkwall, might have been the reason why she wasn’t engaged yet, which at the ripe age of twenty and seven springs made her a spinster, charming as she was.

“Janet, how many times do I have to tell to stop dressing like a vagabond?” Lady Leandra Hawke nee Amell arched her brow at the look of her beloved, if somewhat unruly, daughter “Just look at you sister. Bethany knows that dressing as a boy does not suit a woman of certain social standing.”

“Mother dear, if you wish, I will gladly change,” Hawke’s tone was surprisingly deferential ”I’m sure patients at the clinic will appreciate my new green dress from Jean Luc. It’s silk embroidered with pure silver, isn’t it? The ruby necklace that papa gave me will go lovely with it, don’t you think?” the young woman flashed her mother a mischievous smile. She laughed silently at the thought of visiting Darktown dressed in lavish garments. That would certainly make for an interesting tale afterwards.

“Do you really have to go there?” the woman sighted with a bit of reproach and a lot of concern.

“You always taught us to be gentle to those less fortunate. Helping at the clinic, making use of my talents… I think that’s the least I can do. Besides, I’m sure that’s what father would do. He always said that people like Anders were the ones making real changes,” Hawke gave her mother a serious look.

“Your father…” Leandra voice became distant and her eyes gazed at something Janet couldn’t see “Yes, I believe you’re right. Go on then, child. Just make sure you’re home in time to make yourself presentable for dinner. We have some special guests,” she hesitated for a while “And make sure you take some food with you. Your father’s not here anymore but that doesn’t mean his apprentice should starve himself while taking care of the poorest.”

“Thank you, mama.”

***

_Her father sitting on her bed, his outline against the fireplace. She loved their quiet time together and the unbelieveable stories Malcolm Hawke always swore to be true._

_“You know the garden and the mansion across the street? Once upon a time a magister lived there, who was as mighty as he was evil. He didn’t care for people and he didn’t care for appearances,”_

_“Papa, what are appearances? Are they some kind of animal?”_

_“No, Janet, appearances are the things other people think of you, especially if they don’t know you. Ask you mother, she’ll tell why exactly it is so important, alright?”_

_“Yes, papa.”_

_“Good girl. So, onto the story. The mage was powerful and did not fear anything or anybody. He used the vile blood magic and summoned demons to do his bidding. Everybody in Kirkwall were afraid of him, even the Viscount. But although they all knew he was a very cruel man, every noble attended the annual event in his garden. For the flowers that grew them were not common plants and the mage’s guests could always count on a gift,”_

_“Why were the plants so special, papa?”_

_“They were magical. Some of them were enchanted and could revive your strength or put you to eternal sleep. Others could transform you into an animal. And then there was the most precious of them all – the flower that could make you live forever. They say the mage created it using forbidden knowledge from the Black City. All you had to do, was to pick it when it was in full bloom and puuf!, you were immortal. Nobody ever saw it but every once in a while the story came round. Many years went by and the magister was still there, looking exactly the same. Some people were said to go missing but because they were poor, nobody paid any real attention. And then the uprising came, with slaves rebelling against their owners,” Malcolm Hawke’s voice hardened a bit. Not enough to scare Janet, yet enough for her to notice._

_“Why did they rebel, papa?”_

_“Because no person should be owned, because everybody deserve to make their own decisions… Remember, sweetheart, people who treat other people like things are bad,” he gave her a serious look “No person, no matter who, is never a thing, remember that,” his father must’ve realised he got carried away “Anyway, when the dust settled, the mage was nowhere to be found. Some say he got dragged away by demons, others claim he merely moved away. The thing is, the manor and the garden are still there and every now and then some adventurer tries to find the magical flower. None has succeeded and some never returned. And sometimes, when you listen at night, you can hear them howling and moaning behind the tall walls of the manor. Some say it’s the poor souls that have been trapped by evil magic.”_

_“Why didn’t they just destroy it, the manor and the garden then? If it was haunted?”_

_“Oh, what a smart girl you are. They tried, but every time the city employed someone to deal with the estate, something bad happened. The last team of dwarven engineers simply disappeared, and the chef of Fereldan builders before them went mad the day work was supposed to start. People say the magister still looks after his beloved garden, should any little girl try to wander there,” there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye she loved so much._

_“I wouldn’t go there even if there was the biggest lemon cake in the world in there, don’t worry, papa”_

_“I know, you’re such a good daughter,” her father laughed silently “And now, have some lovely dreams and I’ll go and see if you mother needs anything,” his kiss on her forehead was soft and his moustache tickled her. She giggled and felt safety and weariness envelop her like a fuzzy blanket._

For a few moments more she drifted among her childhood memories. Suddenly, a loud noise made her jump. She looked around, gripping her staff tightly. A big ginger tomcat eyed her suspiciously from a stack of crates. He must’ve knocked one of them down. Hell, one of these days she needs to stop daydreaming or it will be the end of her. Maybe she could ask Carver for some tips? He never seemed to think about anything else than what was right in front of him. She always considered it a drawback – maybe she’s been wrong all along?

It wasn’t long before she reached the secluded clinic on the outskirts of the Darktown. The mixed smell of herbs and rot created an amalgam that she would recognize even with her eyes closed. It would cling to her clothes and hair so when she got back to the Hightown people would be more than eager to move out of her way. This thought made her giggle silently.

“Yes, the unique aroma of illness, desperation and lack of plumbing. It’s hard not to love it, hm?” she noticed a tall man leaning against the wall, brown eyes studying her every move. By Andraste, it certainly wasn’t her best day if she didn’t notice him earlier.

“Good day to you as well,” she smirked “You look like you could use some help. And some rest.” Janet wrinkled her nose “Maker’s breath, you stink even worse than the air here. I never even thought that was possible. What happened?”

“One death, one birth, couple of stomach flus and a nasty gut wound. And that’s only for breakfast,” he gave her a tired smile “But now that you’re here, I’m already feeling better. The magic you use on me definitely works, Hawke,” he looked at her with the kind of intensity that made her blush. There was warmth in his gaze but also something that made her feel like one of the heroines in the books she loved so much. She would be dressed in a lace nightgown and he would appear all of the sudden in her bedroom, the moon bathing everything in silver light… Maker’s breath, that kind of thoughts certainly wasn’t proper. Then again, it was quite pleasant and it wasn’t t like anyone could see what’s in her mind, was it?

“Yes, right, I’m glad, very happy about it, very happy” something about his grin made her sure he could read her thoughts like an open book “I brought you some food. Why don’t you eat something? And maybe you should take a nap? You really look like something a dog dragged in from the sewers. I’ll take care of whatever patients you have next. Unless it’s something really complicated. We both know healing isn’t really my kind of magic, though I tried to learn some potion brewing recently. Unfortunately it seems that is also not my forte,” she couldn’t stop babbling, words spilling out of her mouth without the slightest regard for her mind. Maker’s breath, she should shut up before she says anything stupid, anything like… “And maybe you should take a bath? You smell really bad and I think even your regulars will notice,” she could feel her ears getting flaming red.

Janet Victoria Hawke scolded herself and tried to regain posture. She told herself to be cool, calm and composed and everything will be fine. Maybe he wouldn’t notice she was acting like a dummy. Unfortunately it seemed that was not the case. The moment she laid eyes on the healer, he burst with laughter. She hasn’t heard him laugh like that in a very long long time. He looked at her like there was some kind of joke only the two of them shared. And suddenly Hawke realised she was laughing with Anders, tears running down her flushed face, her stomach already hurting in places she wouldn’t dream of. She couldn’t even tell what was so funny and yet it seemed impossible to stop. After what seemed to be an eternity, the chuckle died somewhere between the breaths and suddenly they were back in Darktown, serious and careful.

“I think I’ll take you on that offer of a nap, Hawke. It shouldn’t be busy in the next couple of hours or so, anyway. And a warm bath sounds great” he sighted like a man talking about fulfilling his life’s dream. She watched him disappear into his private quarters. Hawke decided to check on him in a couple of minutes. Just to make sure he didn’t fall asleep in the bath tub of course. And most certainly not to see what body had been hidden under this robe of his. As her father’s apprentice he was almost like a brother to her, so she was sure she wasn’t interested in anything else than being sisterly to him. Even if it required her to look at him taking a bath.

A discreet grunt caught her attention and Hawke noticed some people crowding around the entrance. It seemed that Anders had a peculiar definition of “not busy”. Still, there was nothing left but to roll up the sleeves and get to work.

“My name is Janet and today I will take care of you. Who’s first?”

The crowd seemed to grow in front of her eyes. Maker’s breath, she dreaded to imagine what “really busy” looked like according to the healer. It was going to be a long day.

***

When she came back home, Hawke felt like sleeping for a week non-stop or so. Unfortunately, it was the evening of that bloody dinner and so the only thing she could do was to gulp down a small stamina potion Anders gave her. That, a cold bath and some really strong tea would have to be enough. She wanted mother to be happy with her eldest daughter and that meant making an effort. The dress that Janet decided to put on was truly a work of art, made in a way that allowed to emphasise everything Hawke was proud of. True, it took her some time to lace the corset properly and eventually she had to ask Bethany for help, but the effect was worth it. The deep red brought out the emerald green of her eyes and the golden embroidery corresponded with the warm hue of Hawke’s complexion. She decided that a delicate golden necklace would be enough. After all it was just a dinner and not a ball at the Keep, even if there was a prince involved.

When she came down, the guests had already arrived. She noticed a handsome man with cerulean blue eyes and a smile that probably stole hearts on a daily basis. This had to be him, the prince her mother wanted Hawke to marry.

“Sebastian Vael, at your service, Lady Hawke,” he murmured and bowed to kiss her hand. Hawke was sure the evening was going to be at least interesting. The man’s brogue and the touch of his lips on her hand made her feel things a lady shouldn’t probably ever feel, especially not in public and surely not because of a man she hardly knew. Then again, she never considered herself a lady, even though her mother would probably fervently disagree.

“Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the dining room?” the question paused her train of thoughts for a while.

She caught glimpse of them both in one of the mirrors. Small wonder her mother was beaming. If nothing else, they made one hell of a beautiful couple.

***

The evening was flowing surprisingly nice. Sparkling wine and a charming conversation with a shamelessly flirtatious Sebastian were enough to make blood course faster through Hawke’s veins. Hell, maybe marrying him wouldn’t be such a bad idea. After all, who wouldn’t like to be a princess? The title certainly had a nice ring to it. “Princess Hawke” sounded like a name straight from a fairy tale. Not to mention she would look splendid in a crown.

“Lady Hawke, I’ve heard a great deal about your adventures. Is it true you single-handedly vanquished a high dragon?” she could feel blue eyes studying her intensely. Funny, how Varric’s tales stirred imagination of both commoners and blue bloods alike. Wasn’t that proof enough that deep down inside everybody was the same?

“Ser Sebastian, I assure you the reality isn’t as fascinating. It was a young dragon and it was probably ill. So there is nothing to talk about, really.” The truth was, they got rid of the high dragon in the Bone Pit. But Janet Victoria Hawke was her mother’s daughter and she knew it was best to be underestimated. She made a mental note to tell Varric to tone the stories down a bit.

“Still, I believe it to be great accomplishment. Especially for such a delicate flower as yourself,” his smile was full of confidence.

“And what flower would I be, Ser?” her voice was calm but she could feel blood rushing to her head. Apparently underneath it all he was just like most men she knew, patronizing and condescending.

“Well, this dress makes you a stunning rose,” he lowered his voice “But without it you’d probably be a charming lily.”

She gasped. Maker’s breath, no wonder he was the most eligible bachelor in Free Marches. Her anger still simmered inside, yet Janet felt a strange shiver of pleasure. She started to wonder what else he could do with this mouth of his. And then she saw Vael, grinning like a cat that just ate a canary. Hell, he looked like he *knew* what she was thinking about. Was she really that obvious? She had to pull herself together.

“Ser, do remember roses have thorns and lilies are poisonous,” she said with a nasty grin. Somehow, what sounded in her head like a great comeback, made Vael’s smile even wider.

“I love a challenge, Lady Hawke. It’s a trait we seem to share, don’t we?” he cocked his head, eyeing her curiously.

Something in his eyes told her it was certainly going to be an evening to remember.

**Author's Note:**

> Dear Reader, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you're yelling "Where the hell are Hawke's Merry Men? They are in the tags!", I assure you, you'll see them soon. In the meantime, let me know what you think. And sorry for the mistakes you might've found along the way - unfortunately, I have no beta reader.


End file.
